Subject. Municipal management system, formation of economic growth centers. Objectives. Identifying factors hindering the implementation of strategic spatial development priorities of the Russian Federation. Methods. Expert survey with elements of interviewing. Results. The desire of local authorities to take a more active role in the development of key settlements contradicts the essence of the principle of support, which implies giving priority to the interests of the country's spatial development as a whole. There remains uncertainty regarding the financial support for the ability of key settlements to carry out a number of important functions in relation to adjacent territories. However, all experts noted that the key settlements have the potential to become centers of economic growth. Conclusions. Leaders of key settlements adopt a paternalistic approach to addressing the economic problems of the regions, whereas the development of economic growth centers requires the activation of civil society institutions. Special legislation is needed to regulate the creation, functioning, and development of key settlements.

The article examines a strategy for territorial development through the creation of key settlements. The authors demonstrate that their creation will facilitate the redistribution of socioeconomic activity at the regional level and serve as a means of overcoming spatial imbalances. The purpose of this study is to identify how experts and residents of local communities assess the prospects for the formation of key settlements in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The theoretical section of the article examines methodological approaches to the formation of a spatial structure: continuous territorial development; a sustainable settlement system based on regional zones of advanced economic growth; an expeditionary settlement system; and key settlement with the formation of key settlements. An analysis of the literature on this topic reveals that researchers generally believe that the successful development of these settlements is possible only with an integrated approach that takes into account the specific characteristics of Russia's regions. Thus, when considering the creation of key population centres in the Far East, it is necessary to consider the development of a sustainable settlement system based on regional zones of advanced economic growth, with a comfortable living environment. The authors of the article use economic and sociological analysis to determine the specific characteristics of such centres. Using the example of two communities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (the town of Aldan and the village of Berdigestyakh), they demonstrate that the economic performance of key population centres depends on their geographic location, natural resource potential, and socioeconomic conditions. The authors used expert interviews and questionnaires to identify the attitudes of experts and ordinary residents of the region toward the formation of core communities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). In processing and interpreting the study results, the following methods were employed: identifying semantic cores in expert interview texts, calculating expert ratings, and clustering and visualising these semantic cores. The experts provided reasoned assessments of the development of the construction industry, small and medium-sized businesses, transport infrastructure, and social services in their communities. Based on their analysis, the authors conclude that it is necessary to find a balance between indicators that ensure sustainable development of the region, that will contribute to reducing interregional inequalities. To this end, sociological support should become an integral part of the preparation of various projects for the formation of core communities in Russian regions.

In the context of the transformation of spatial policy of the Russian Federation, studies aimed at rethinking the role of cities as spaces of everyday life and centres of sustainable development are becoming increasingly important. The article analyses the phenomenon of social attractiveness of cities in the Chelyabinsk region as a factor determining not only demographic dynamics but also the sustainability of the settlement system in the region. The relevance of the study is due to the need for a comprehensive analysis of the urban environment beyond standard economic indicators. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of social attractiveness of the cities of the Chelyabinsk region based on subjective indicators of quality of life. The empirical basis of the study was data on five cities of the region included in the Unified List of Key Settlements of the Russian Federation, using the indicators of the quality of life index of VEB.RF. The analysis of indicators for two blocks (life satisfaction and social attractiveness) was carried out, and a comparative assessment of deviations of values from the average Russian level was carried out. The results obtained demonstrate the presence of pronounced heterogeneity in assessments of the urban environment and persistent problems in the fields of ecology, education, and improvement. Particular attention is paid to the vectors of development of social attractiveness of the cities of the Chelyabinsk region. Taking into account current trends and regional characteristics, strategic vectors of development of the region are identified, including a human-centred approach, development of tourism, creative industries, environmental transformation and modernisation of social infrastructure. The results of the article can be used in the development of regional development strategies and municipal programmes and as a basis for subsequent empirical studies of the urban environment in industrial regions of Russia. Authors’ contribution. A.O. Uzhegov – developed the concept of the article, formulated the concept of “social attractiveness of the city”, conducted the analysis and interpretation of the studied indicators, determined the vectors of development of social attractiveness of cities in the Chelyabinsk region, and took part in writing the introduction and conclusion; S.A. Melenkina – took part in the writing of the introduction, analysis and interpretation of indicators, as well as in writing the conclusion.

The search for new approaches to spatial development of territories is connected with the need for economic development while achieving a high quality of life for the population. The Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation (hereinafter SDS-2030) defines a network of key settlements as the key instruments for its implementation, which ensures the sustainability of the settlement system, increased economic connectivity, and improved quality of life throughout the country. At the same time, the Spatial Development Strategy defines the most important principles of territorial development: a differentiated approach to the development of settlements (sustainable development of strong regions and assistance to regions in need of additional support); an integrated approach to infrastructure development; and transition to an effective settlement model based on a system of settlements. It seems that building a system of key settlements as a settlement framework for a region is advisable to achieve better living conditions for the population. And this, in turn, is associated with the ongoing policy of integrated territorial development, which is becoming increasingly systemic. Particular emphasis is placed on the expediency of the search for new effective mechanisms and instruments for the implementation of the National Project “Infrastructure for Life.” The objects of the study were cities of different sizes (largest, large, big, medium, and small), included in the composition of the key settlements. The purpose of the study is to determine what the system of key settlements in the region is and to identify the possibilities for the development of cities of different sizes in new conditions. The following methods were used: review of scientific sources and statistical information; analysis of the cities of the region included in the unified list of basic settlements of the Russian Federation.

The article discusses the new national project “Infrastructure for Life”, launched in Russia in 2025. Special attention is given to improving the quality of the living environment in key settlements, including both urban and rural areas. The paper presents the structure of the quality indicator, the methodology for its calculation, interdepartmental coordination, digital monitoring tools, and its linkage with spatial development goals. It also outlines international and domestic indices for assessing urban environment quality and describes Russian models for evaluating rural environments.

The article presents the main idea of the creation of anchor settlements - a new relevant national project of the Russian Federation aimed at the spatial development of the country. Success in containing the uncontrolled, threatening resettlement of people from disadvantaged areas can be stopped by a well-thought-out and economically planned economic and social policy of the Government of the Russian Federation. The main tool for the economic reorganization of society is the creation of decent conditions and quality of life in degrading shrinking settlements, with anchor settlements occupying a leading place. The indicators show that the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug with a population density of 0.67 people / sq. km has a gross regional product of 5851 billion rubles per year. Kurgan Oblast with a population density of 10.5 people / sq. km has a gross regional product of 339.5 billion rubles. This table visually shows that the issue of resettlement is important in the sphere of economic key indicators. Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Tyumen regions have room to improve their gross regional product, and the increase in GRP should undoubtedly be combined with the strategic development of key settlements.

The purpose of the study is to consider the strategic tools for the spatial development of rural areas in the context of the state program «Integrated Development of Rural Areas in the Novosibirsk Region». The article presents an overview of regulatory legal acts on the topic of «spatial development of rural areas»”. Based on the bibliometric analysis, relevant articles were selected, the contribution of Russian scientists to the theory of spatial development was studied. The result of the empirical study was a map of the key settlements of the Novosibirsk Region. The strategic aspects of the spatial development of rural areas (socio-economic and socially-oriented aspects, spatial organization and sustainability of development) were analyzed. Strategic tools for the spatial development of rural areas are identified. The main problems of the development of rural areas in the Novosibirsk Region and their focus on infrastructure development are identified; directions for solving these problems are shown. The goals, objectives, indicators, as well as the results of the implemented activities within the framework of the state program of the Novosibirsk Region «Integrated Development of Rural Areas in the Novosibirsk Region» for the period 2020-2024 are considered. The article presents the results of an expert assessment of the quality of strategies for the socio-economic development of municipal entities in the Novosibirsk Region according to the integrated assessment methodology. In conclusion, conclusions are made on the prospects for further research.

The article presents the main idea of the creation of anchor settlements - a new relevant national project of the Russian Federation aimed at the spatial development of the country. Success in containing the uncontrolled, threatening resettlement of people from disadvantaged areas can be stopped by a well-thought-out and economically planned economic and social policy of the Government of the Russian Federation. The main tool for the economic reorganization of society is the creation of decent conditions and quality of life in degrading shrinking settlements, with anchor settlements occupying a leading place. The indicators show that the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug with a population density of 0.67 people / sq. km has a gross regional product of 5851 billion rubles per year. Kurgan Oblast with a population density of 10.5 people / sq. km has a gross regional product of 339.5 billion rubles. This table visually shows that the issue of resettlement is important in the sphere of economic key indicators. Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Tyumen regions have room to improve their gross regional product, and the increase in GRP should undoubtedly be combined with the strategic development of key settlements.

The Sokoto Basin, located within the southeastern Iullemmeden Basin in northwestern Nigeria, has garnered renewed interest due to its structural complexity and hydrocarbon potential. This study focuses on the Dinawa region and its surroundings, employing high-resolution aeromagnetic data (sheets 9 and 10) obtained from the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to investigate subsurface structures and estimate depth to the basement. The study area spans approximately 6,180 km², bounded by latitudes 13°00′00″ N to 13°30′00″ N and longitudes 4°30′00″ E to 5°30′00″ E, and includes key settlements such as Binji, Kalambaina, Sokoto Township, Dinawa, Gwadabawa, Balle, Ranma Ali, and Wurno. Geological field mapping was conducted in parallel to enhance surface-to-subsurface correlations. Data enhancement techniques including Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI), which ranged from 32,918 nT to 33,184.5 nT, Residual Magnetic Anomaly (RMA), First Vertical Derivative (FVD), Analytical Signal (AS), Source Parameter Imaging (SPI), and Euler Deconvolution were applied using Oasis Montaj 8.4 and Surfer 16 software. The SPI results indicate that basement depths in the study area range from approximately 0.23 km to 3.79 km, while Euler solutions suggest depths extending to 4.75 km in deeper troughs. Lineament analysis reveals dominant NE–SW and NW–SE trending fault systems, highlighting structurally controlled sedimentary troughs and uplift zones. These findings refine previous interpretations by delineating previously unresolved lineaments and enhancing depth accuracy. The study contributes significantly to the structural understanding and hydrocarbon exploration framework of the Sokoto Basin.

Introduction. In recent years, the concept of Russian rural development has been designed, which include the organization of rural agglomerations and key settlements. This concept is being implemented within the administrative boundaries of municipal and urban districts. However, it is not expected to completely solve the problems of rural development. Therefore, it has become relevant to explore alternative options for organizing the territorial structure and justifying new objects for managing rural development processes. The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptual approach to the formation of agglomerated groups of settlements based on the zoning and socio-economic profiling of rural and non-urbanized areas. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using the example of municipalities in the Voronezh Region. Approximately 40 % of these municipalities population live in rural or non-urbanized areas (data from 2018‒2022). To model the settlement structure of the region, we used the zoning method, which involves the construction of a minimum spanning tree. The region was divided into clusters using the SKATER algorithm. These clusters are considered prototypes of potential “rural subregions”, which are rational agglomerations that unite settlements from several administrative districts. The calculations were carried out using the GeoDa 1.22 software. Results. The zoning of rural and non-urban areas in the Voronezh Region has been carried out based on options that involve strict and non-strict compliance with the official lists of rural agglomerations and key settlements. Based on clustering results, eight potential rural sub-regions with similar socio-economic potential have been identified and profiled for each option. These subregions have the potential to form a multi-tiered system of public services based on several core locations. Discussion and Conclusion. A comparison of the zoning options revealed the advantage of the spatial structure of the second option. In the initial conditions, it is assumed that several settlements with a population more than 50 000 inhabitants and suburban areas will be allowed to cluster together. The developed methodology can serve as a basis for further research on the economic space of agglomeration structures in rural and non-urban areas. The results of this study may be useful for the development of strategies and programs for socio-economic development at the regional and municipal levels.

The article examines the duration of residence in municipalities of the Russian Arctic. This is an adaptation of the life expectancy indicator, which takes into account the migration outflow in addition to mortality. The indicator helps to assess the contribution of migration and mortality to the reduction of the demographic potential of the Arctic territories. Starting from the age of 40, the contribution of mortality to population decline exceeds the contribution of migration outflows. The researcher reveals differences in migration attitudes by gender and age, and shows that in rural areas women under 30 are more likely to leave, while men are more likely to move after that age. The research identifies differences between Arctic municipalities in the expected duration of residence according to data from 2015—2022. Particular attention is paid to the key settlements of the Russian Arctic. Residents of the largest Arkhangelsk agglomeration are the least likely to leave. It is shown that the migration intensity among the elderly population is primarily due to the income level in the municipality and the distance to the regional center, while that of the youth is determined by the ethnic composition and development of educational infrastructure. The research is valuable due to the proposed tools that allow us to identify factors simultaneously influencing the human resources of the Arctic both in terms of migration behavior of the population and in terms of life expectancy.

Abstract Han Dynasty chroniclers recorded valuable information about key settlements in the Xiongnu Empire, specifically those where the residence of the Chanyu was located. Though the first nomadic empire’s political centre is linked to theories of early urbanisation in the eastern steppe, detailed examination of the historiographical terminology is lacking. We analyse the terminology to assess how settlements were perceived through the lens of Han culture and language. Six Chinese and two Xiongnu terms describing settlement form or function are identified and compared with form and function of the settlements known from archaeological materials. Some of the terms relate to traditional mobile structures, whereas others attest to substantial earthen structures of unquestionable political and ceremonial import influenced by Han technologies. We also propose a solution to the problem of when and how these technologies were introduced into nomadic society.

As the most important compositional and decorative elements of a building, stone architectural details could also have structural significance or represent spolia adapted for new needs. As a result, their upper, lower, lateral, and back surfaces are often no less informative than the frontal surfaces, adorned with exquisite carvings or dedication texts. In this regard, the architectural decoration of the monumental buildings of Mangup, Funa, and Kalamita, the three key settlements of the so-called Principality of Theodoro — the capital city, the ancestral castle on the eastern outskirts of the domain, and the coastal fortress guarding the port — is extremely indicative. It forms two groups of carved stone products, which can be differentiated chronologically and partly stylistically, among which the primary place belongs to the construction inscriptions dated 1425—1427 and 1459. The timeframe of the study covers a relatively peaceful period of almost half a century of existence and cultural development of this state formation, the beginning and middle of which coincide with the wars with Caffa in 1422—1423 and 1433—1441, and the end was marked by the conquest of Crimea by the Ottomans in 1475.

The development of support settlements has been proclaimed as one of the priority directions of spatial development in Russia. Currently the state is working on legal and methodological support for the creation of support settlements, a list of more than 2 thousand settlements has been formed. Long-term plans for the socio-economic development of key settlements are being developed in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Long-term plans for the integrated socio-economic development of 22 agglomerations and cities located in the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as a list of key settlements in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, have been approved. The regulations on the Unified List of Reference Settlements are incorporated into the Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 with a forecast up to 2036. These processes have highlighted a number of problems in the field under consideration, so the concept of anchor settlements needs further elaboration, theoretical understanding, analysis of information on the practical implementation of this tool and the appropriate regulatory consolidation of the necessary innovations.

The article deals with the development of state support for business in the Arctic zone of Russia for the period 2020–2023 from the position of the resilient approach. Achieving national strategic objectives in the region necessitates the formulation of new approaches to implementing state support, taking into account the “updated” priorities and the accelerating changes. The demand for a modern interpretation of the concept of resilience is driven by practical requirements to address the challenges of economic sustainability. The analysis conducted demonstrates that the development of the Russian Arctic zone will depend on the “properly adjusted” mechanisms of state support and systemic measures aimed at creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurship, the livelihoods of the population, and the traditional sector of the ethno-economy in this region. There is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive support system to address national tasks in the Arctic, including the development of key settlements. This involves simplifying permitting procedures, creating infrastructure, refining and coordinating preferential regimes integrated into the strategic planning system, providing comprehensive support for businesses from regional and local authorities, and utilizing tax catalysts to enhance the resilience of the socio-economic systems of settlements in the northeastern Arctic zone of Russia.

W artykule skoncentrowano się na zagadnieniu struktury i organizacji wiejskiej sieci osadniczej. Opracowano oryginalne postępowanie badawcze w zakresie analizy lokalnej osadnictwa, tj. skupiono się na zmianach zachodzących w jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego najniższego szczebla. Kwestię depopulacji podjęto w skali wewnątrzgminnej. Sformułowano następujące pytania badawcze: czy depopulacja dotyczy wszystkich jednostek osadniczych w gminach wiejskich? jakie typy gmin pod względem różnic demograficznych pomiędzy miejscowościami możemy wyróżnić? jakie są przyczyny występujących różnic pomiędzy jednostkami osadniczymi? Rozważania odnoszą się do istotnej dla planowania przestrzennego koncepcji osiedli kluczowych (key settlements). Sformułowano zatem hipotezę, w której założono, że liczba gmin, w których pomimo ogólnej depopulacji mamy do czynienia ze wzrostem niektórych osiedli, jest odpowiednio duża do określenia podstawowych prawidłowości przekształceń osadniczych. Temat poruszony w artykule jest ważny dla bieżącej i przyszłej organizacji lokalnych struktur osadniczych. Stwierdzono, że w większości gmin województwa lubelskiego wszystkie osiedla wiejskie traciły mieszkańców w pierwszych dwóch dekadach XXI w. Zauważono, że wzrost demograficzny w niektórych miejscowościach na obszarach gmin generalnie wyludniających się ma miejsce w strefach podmiejskich mniejszych ośrodków, choć trudno, ze względu na niepowszechny charakter zjawiska, stwierdzić w tym zakresie prawidłowości. Naszym zdaniem warto również zwrócić uwagę na wsie, które oficjalnie nie mają statusu miejskiego, choć wykazują wiele takich cech. Część z nich w ostatnich latach otrzymała prawa miejskie. Rozwój tych osiedli na terenach wiejskich w kontekście koncepcji kluczowych osiedli powinien być wnikliwie zbadany w kolejnych studiach z tego zakresu.

Сфера финансовой поддержки предпринимательства в России оказывается на фронтире финансовых инноваций. Одним из решений проблемы расширения финансовой поддержки предпринимательства стал внедренный Корпорацией МСП механизм «зонтичных поручительств»[1] – автоматического предоставления гарантии по кредиту на основе сформированного банком-партнером реестра кредитных договоров с субъектами МСП. Кредитные программы для бизнеса в рамках противодействия распространению новой коронавирусной инфекции в 2020–2021 годах реализованы на платформе распределенного реестра ФНС России, на которую в 2022 году переведены отраслевые программы поддержки системообразующих предприятий. Russia’s system of financial support of entrepreneurship is on the financial innovation frontier. One of the key settlements for the last years that expanded for more than twice volume of the financial support of entrepreneurship was the «Umbrella Guarantee» mechanism by the Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation (RSMB)[32] – the credit is auto-covered by the RSMB-guarantee based on inclusion into the Register of small and medium business loans formed by the partner Banks. Special federal loan programs for business during COVID-19 in 2020-2021 implemented on Federal Tax Service distributed ledger platform, where Federal industry-profiled programs for backbone enterprises transferred in 2022. This Article discusses the model of Small and Medium Business financial support based on the development of the existing Federal Tax Service distributed ledger platform due to its reliability and security. Proposed model uses smart-contracts to integrate two circuits – loan and guarantee – and to ensure auto-disclosure of the guarantee, increase attractiveness of the one for lenders, widen the coverage of the loans with the guarantees and boost the number of support recipients. It is shown that open offer mechanism based on minimal weighted average interest rate and uniform scoring evaluation ensure minimization of the loan cost for the borrower. Furthermore, it can be expected that the decentralized and self-conducted loan-guarantee Smart-contracts allow competition with cryptocurrencies for individual investments for 250 billion rubles to 14,5 trillion rubles.

This article addresses the challenges associated with establishing a system of key settlements as one of the tools to ensure balanced spatial development of the country. In 2022, the Government of the Russian Federation approved methodological recommendations for classifying settlements as key ones, and corresponding lists were compiled in each region. The purpose of this article is to assess the practical applicability of these methodological recommendations as a mechanism for managing spatial development, using the regions of the European North of Russia as a case study. The study employs research methods such as synthesis, generalization, statistical analysis, spatial analysis, and content analysis. The study is based on works by Russian and international authors on spatial and regional economics, statistical data, and regulatory documents issued by public authorities. The research examines the role of key settlements in the socio-economic development of regions and tests the officially approved methodological recommendations in the European North of Russia. A list of small towns, semi-urban settlements, and villages that meet the specified criteria has been compiled. Based on a content analysis of the regulatory documents regarding the regions of European North of Russia, the towns and settlements were identified that had been classified as key ones. It is observed that authorities often do not fully adhere to the official requirements outlined in the methodological recommendations, mainly due to their general nature and the lack of consideration for regional features. Another issue lies in the absence of a hierarchy of key settlements. The novelty of this research is associated with providing an assessment of the practical applicability of the approved methodological recommendations for selecting key settlements. The results of the study have scientific value and practical applicability within relevant fields of study and can also be used by federal authorities and local governments when developing measures for the formation and development of a network of key settlements on the territory of the European North of Russia.

ABSTRACTPolitiko-Troullia has generated the largest radiocarbon (14C) dataset from a Prehistoric Bronze Age settlement on Cyprus. We present Bayesian modeling of 25 calibrated AMS ages, which contributes to an emerging multi-site 14C chronology for Cyprus covering most of the Prehistoric Bronze Age. Our analysis places the six stratified phases of occupation at Troullia between about 2050 and 1850 cal BCE, in contrast to a longer estimated occupation inferred from pottery analysis. We provide a rare 14C determination for the transition from Prehistoric Bronze Age 1 to 2 just after 2000 cal BCE, associated with a major architectural dislocation at Politiko-Troullia in response to local landscape erosion, possibly due to increased regional precipitation. We present a regional 14C model for Prehistoric Bronze Age Cyprus combining the chronology for Politiko-Troullia with modeled 14C ages from Sotira Kaminoudhia and Marki Alonia, which is bolstered by individual ages from five other settlements on Cyprus. Through the Prehistoric Bronze Age, agrarian villages on Cyprus developed the foundations for the emergence of urbanized settlement and society during the ensuing Protohistoric Bronze Age. Politiko-Troullia, in conjunction with other key settlements on Cyprus, provides a significant independent contribution to increasingly robust Bronze Age 14C chronologies in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In the last decade, the Mergen archaeological microdistrict has become a base for the study of the Neolithic of the Lower Ishim region. Systematic studies of key settlements (Mergen 3, 5–8) were carried out, 42 radiocarbon dates were obtained. It is established that the process of formation of the Neolithic in the region is associated with the appearance (no later than the first quarter of the 7th millennium BC) of the carriers of the tradition of making flat-bottomed ceramic vessels, on the basis of which the early Boborykino culture is formed. By the end of the 7th millennium BC, in the Ishim Valley, representatives of the Koshkino culture of the Trans-Urals appear, and the tradition of making vessels with relief bands, which has some similarities with the Satygin and Mulymya complexes of the mountainous Trans-Urals and the Kondinsky lowland. The coexistence of these groups of the population and the early Boborykino was recorded, in the morphology and ornamentation of the vessels of which the characteristic features of the “classical” Late Neolithic were clearly manifested. At the middle stage of the Neolithic (the second quarter of the 5th millennium BC), the Kozlov population appeared in the Lower Ishim region and, probably, a little later (the third quarter of the 5th millennium BC) bearers of the tradition of making dishes similar to the Sosnovoostrovskaya culture of the Middle Tobol region. Stable ties were revealed during this period, at least for the former, with the southern neighbors (the Makhanjar culture of Turgay). The presented chronological sections illustrate the continuity of the Lower Ishim region and Trans-Urals (Southern, Middle, possibly mountain forest), as well as the steppe territories in the south, in cultural and genetic processes during the 7th–5th millennium BC.